Robotics DSL Zoo

DSLs per Subdomain

One analysis to structure the domain is grouping the DSLs and their publications by common semantics, abstractions and use-cases. Here, Part A (Robotics Foundations) covers the fundamental principles and methods needed to create a robotic system. While developing such a system, various challenges have to be tackled in kinematics, dynamics, actuation, sensing, motion planning, control, programming and task planning. Thus, the subdomains chosen in this overview correspond to these categories.

The following chart shows the subdomains and the numbers of publications we found in the subdomains respectively. This is intended to serve as a map for potential DSL users as well as foster discussion and reuse of languages and the underlying models for DSL developers.

• Kinematics - Kinematics refers to the motion of bodies in robotic mechanisms without taking the forces/torques causing the motion into account. Hence, it includes general representations of the position and orientation of a body, the relation among the joints as well as conventions for representing the geometry of rigid bodies connected by joints. This subdomain corresponds to Part A, Chapter 1 in the Handbook of Robotics.
• Dynamics - Dynamics covers the relationships between actuation and contact forces that act on robot mechanisms. Such a mechanism in this sense is described by rigid bodies connected by joints. Furthermore, it pertains to the acceleration and motion trajectories resulting from these relationships. This subdomain corresponds to Part A, Chapter 2 in the Handbook of Robotics.
• Mechanisms and Actuation - Mechanisms and Actuation focuses on the mechanical structure of a robot that creates its movable skeleton. All elements that cause a robotic mechanism to move – so called actuators – are addressed along with the mathematical model that is used to characterize the robot's performance. This subdomain corresponds to Part A, Chapter 3 in the Handbook of Robotics.
• Sensing and Estimation - Sensing and Estimation ranges from robot-state estimation for feedback control to task-oriented interpretation of sensor data of any kind. Apart from estimation techniques, this category also covers different kinds of information representations. This subdomain corresponds to Part A, Chapter 4 in the Handbook of Robotics.
• Motion Planning - Motion Planning covers collision-free trajectory planning for mobile platforms as well as robot actuators. This subdomain corresponds to Part A, Chapter 5 in the Handbook of Robotics.
• Motion Control - Motion Control addresses the dynamical model of robotic manipulators. This includes different controller approaches, such as independent-joint, PID as well as torque control. This subdomain corresponds to Part A, Chapter 6 in the Handbook of Robotics.
• Force Control - Force Control pertains to the achievement of a robust and dynamic behavior of robotic systems in compliant interaction between robot and environment. Similar to the Motion Control category, it includes different control aspects, e.g., stiffness and impedance control. This subdomain corresponds to Part A, Chapter 7 in the Handbook of Robotics.
• Architectures and Programming - Architectures and Programming refers to the way a robotic system is designed on the software-level. It can be divided into architectural structure and architectural style. The structure is represented by how the system is split up into subsystems and how they interact with each other. The style however addresses the underlying computational concepts. This subdomain corresponds to Part A, Chapter 8 in the Handbook of Robotics.
  Due to its large number of entries, the Architectures and Programming subdomain is further subdivided into its disciplines, see Architectures and Programming Disciplines.
• Reasoning Methods - Reasoning Methods focuse on symbol-based reasoning and knowledge representation. It covers logic- as well as probability-based approaches. Furthermore, this category also addresses learning, such as inductive logic learning, neuronal networks and reinforcement learning. This subdomain corresponds to Part A, Chapter 9 in the Handbook of Robotics.